Wanderers Football Club has announced Shannon Motlop as Head Coach of the Premier League men’s team and Dave Totham as Premier League women’s coach for the next two seasons.
A highly regarded footballer with a Level 1 AFL Coaching qualification, Motlop has over 20 years of football experience and has played at the highest level.
Hailing from a famous Northern Territory football family, Motlop was a gifted junior footballer playing his early days with the Nightcliff Football Club and then Wanderers before being drafted to North Melbourne in 1998 as a teenager where he went on to play 54 games including a Premiership in 1999.
In 2005, he crossed to the Melbourne Football Club where he went on to play another 10 AFL games taking his total to 64 games at the elite level.
Motlop has played 110 Premier League games for Wanderers including the 2010/11 and 2014/15 premierships, and in 2016 he was inducted into the Wanderers Team of the Century on the half forward flank.
He also played in two Victorian Football League (VFL) premierships for Sandringham, two Sunraysia Football League premierships for Red Cliffs Football Club, including one in 2015 when he was the playing coach, and a further premiership for the Robinvale Football taking his senior tally to eight premierships.
He takes over the reins from outgoing coach Peter Leonard who stood down due to overseas travel commitments.
Motlop said he felt the time was right for him to step into the role.
“I’m excited, and I’m really excited with the list, the young guys and the talent. It will be a good group to have”
“I’ve put it off until the time was right, and previously with work and business it wasn’t the right time to get into coaching. The job takes a lot of time and effort and I have a young family. Now I feel that the time is right and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Totham also hails from a well-known Territory football family and returns to the Women’s Premier League coaching position after having a break for the past two seasons.
In 2015/16, he coached the Wanderer’s Women’s team to their first ever grand final appearance. He has also coached at Division 1 level at Wanderers, PINT and Banks and been a junior coach at the club.
Totham said he was excited to return to the role.
“I’m looking forward to it very much. It is a bit of a case of deja vu so we’ll start building again and we’ll see where we go.
“Rod McLean stepped in two years ago and he’s done a really good job setting some culture and standards, so we hope to work on that,” he said.
Wanderers President Jerome Cubillo said that Motlop and Totham were the standout candidates from the applications received.
“We’re really excited to have Shannon on board; I think the club has been waiting for a while for him to put his hand up and we’re equally as excited to have Dave back in the hot seat.
“Shannon and Dave are the right coaches to lead our club forward.
“Throughout the extensive selection process, it was evident their vision and values are aligned with the direction Wanderers want to keep moving in and building on,” Cubillo said
“Shannon and Dave are very well regarded within the NTFL, and we can’t wait to get started,” Cubillo said.
Both will take over their respective coaching role immediately.
